1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector including multiple terminal housing chambers and configured to position a terminal inserted into each terminal housing chamber by using a lance.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a connector 50 disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2011-71061. The connector 50 includes a connector housing 51 formed by uniting an inner housing and an outer housing. The connector housing 51 is provided with multiple terminal housing chambers 52 and multiple terminal housing chambers 53 arranged in a horizontal direction on two upper and lower stages. Each pair of the terminal housing chambers 52 and 53 on the upper and lower stages are separated by a partition wall 54. The partition wall 54 is provided with two lances 55 and 56 which correspond to the terminal housing chambers 52 and 53 on the upper and lower stages, respectively. Each of the lances 55 and 56 is supported in a cantilever fashion by the partition wall 54. The lance 55 on the upper stage side projects into the upper-stage terminal housing chamber 52, and the lance 56 on the lower stage side projects into the lower-stage terminal housing chamber 53. In other words, the lance 55 is located on a lower side in the upper-stage terminal housing chamber 52, and the lance 56 is located on an upper side in the lower-stage terminal housing chamber 53.
In the above-described configuration, when terminals 60 are inserted into the terminal housing chambers 52 and 53, the lances 55 and 56 are flexurally deformed in such directions to retreat from the terminal housing chambers 52 and 53, thereby allowing insertion of the terminals 60. When the terminals 60 are fully inserted into regular insertion positions, the lances 55 and 56 recover from the flexural deformation and are locked to the terminals 60. The terminals 60 are kept from moving in a direction reverse to the insertion direction (a direction to pull out the terminals) by the lances 55 and 56, and are thus positioned.
In the conventional example described above, the lance 55 on the upper stage side and the lance 56 on the lower stage side are arranged back-to-back, thereby sharing a flexural deformation region S. This makes it possible to reduce a pitch between the terminal housing chambers 52 and 53 on the two upper and lower stages and to downsize the connector 50.